What Is A Tennis Rally?

A tennis rally refers to a regular sequence of play involving two players hitting the ball continuously back and forth successfully over the net. A rally begins with the serve, which must be hit into the proper box on the opposite side of the court.

For the rally to be deemed a valid rally, the serve must be successfully returned by the receiver over the net so that the server has a chance to then return the ball. Once this occurs, the two players have initiated a rally, which is thus composed of the remaining back and forth successful returns between the two players, ending when either player scores a point. 

Once a point is scored, the rally is officially over and the next one may only begin when the next serve is made.

How Does a Rally Impact a Match?

Tennis rallies can vary greatly in terms of their length and duration. Because of this, some rallies can have lasting effects on one or more players involved in a tennis rally. For example, a match with many short, quick rallies may finish in a short time and leave players with plenty of energy remaining. However, if a match features one or more long, grueling rallies, players may be at risk of exhaustion or great fatigue. This can be a weakness for some players, making endurance a very important quality to have when playing tennis.

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